York Daily Record: "Rare" Victorian with Interesting Past

One might say that the writing is on the wall and history is in the air at The Historic York Inn / Smyser-Bair House. As time marches on, the house continues to make history as well as showcase it.

This past week, the York Daily Record published a story accompanied by 35 beautiful photos profiling one of the most unique homes in the city of York: The Historic York Inn / Smyser-Bair House.

The author and photographer for the article was Paul Kuehnel of the York Daily Record. He wrote:

"One of the most interesting details of the ornate Victorian Smyser-Bair House is the simple handwriting preserved throughout the house. The dated, historic, human touches highlight the preservation of the home over its 180 years as an anchor of downtown York at 30 South Beaver Street. Handwriting with dates from the 1880s, 1911 and 1986 can be found in the house from the attic to the basement."

Indeed, although the home is made to live in, peek behind a hanging picture of previous owners from the past two centuries and you'll find handwritten notes on the walls.

He went on to write, "It's rare that a home in York built in the 1830s stands mostly as it was seen in the late 19th Century -- that it was never converted into apartments or was changed by large-scale renovation."

Read the article and see the photographs for yourself at the York Daily Record.

http://www.ydr.com/story/news/2017/01/18/york-victorian-interesting-past-sale/96313100/

Old House Dreams, the blog for people who love historic houses, features a write-up about the Historic York Inn / Smyser-Bair House complete with a collection of fresh photographs.

https://www.oldhousedreams.com/2014/07/24/1849-italianate-york-pa/

York Inn / Smyser-Bair House Made Front Page of The York Dispatch

If you read The York Dispatch, then you may remember the article about The Historic York Inn that made the front page in 2008 shorty after Eric and Nataliya Goodman purchased the historic home. 

The front page headline read: Couple opens B&B in the heart of York.

The story was written by Dispatch reporter Daina Klimanis.

In the story, Daina wrote about the owners’ not-too-long-ago visit to a bed and breakfast in upstate New York, and how the writer-and-artist pair thought owning their own bed and breakfast would be a dream come true.

Then, as though dictated by fate, they found the Smyser Bair mansion up for sale at 30 South Beaver Street – once home to the prominent Smyser family, then passed on through marriage to the Bair family, and eventually opened as a successful bed and breakfast in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Dispatch described the parlor “a soaring room with sky-blue walls, flowing drapes over the windows and hand-carved mirrors leafed in gold Smyser brought back from his Gold Rush adventures.” The story went on to say that “The parlor could be the perfect venue for receptions.”

The story described The Historic York Inn as “good news to the city's economic development office, where officials have long said a bed-and-breakfast would contribute to the city's tourism offerings.”

"It's an outstanding thing for the city," said Kevin Schreiber, coordinator of marketing and economic development for the City of York.

Indeed, it has been an outstanding thing for York. Revered for it's historic preservation, a rare mansion that still stands as a museum to live in the 1800s, the home is perhaps even more outstanding now, with all of the development going on across the street all along the block. 

Read the article at The York Dispatch.

http://yorkdispatch.inyork.com/ci_9310142

Join Us for York First Friday

The Smyser-Bair House / Historic York Inn invites you to join us for an evening of homemade food, drinks, palatial tours, live music, original art, and local literature at 30 South Beaver Street as a part of Downtown York’s First Friday festivities from 5 to 9 p.m. on October 2!

Berkshire-Hathaway will offer complete tours of the 1830s mansion, The Smyser-Bair House / Historic York Inn. Step back in time for a tour through history, with hand-carved, gilded Pier mirrors, stained glass, etched glass, hand plasterwork, woodwork, and chandeliers that rival those found in museums. Anchored in the historic district since the 1830s, and belonging to the Smyser-Bair family until 1979 (when it was left to the York Historical Trust before becoming a private inn) this home is a rich part of York's history, recently featured in front page news and on national television for its historic charm. (And it could be yours.)

Limestone Connection, a band from Baltimore made up of Holly Morse-Ellington (on ukulele and vocals) and Jason Tinney (on harmonica), will play a set of live music. 

Eric D. Goodman and Nataliya Goodman will sign copies of their books, Flightless Goose, a storybook for children, and Tracks: A Novel in Stories. Tracks: A Novel in Stories won the Gold Medal for best fiction in the Mid-Atlantic Region from the Independent Publishers Book Awards.

Jason Tinney will sign copies of his novel, Ripple Meets the Deep. Ripple Meets the Deep was named best book of Baltimore in Baltimore Magazine.

A beer tasting will be offered by Brewery Products, with samples of Wyndridge Crafty Cider.

Snacks, hot food, sliders, spiced cider for the adults and virgin cider for the younger crowd, wine, and other consumables will be there for the taking.

Whether you want to enjoy the beer tasting, live music, regional authors autographing books, spiced cider, autumn snacks, a tour of the Smyser-Bair House, or a little bit of everything, join us from 5 to 9 p.m. at 30 South Beaver Street, York, PA 17401 for York First Friday on October 2!

Learn more about the history of the Smyser-Bair House / Historic York Inn at www.YorkInn.info.
 

A Brush with History and Old-Fashioned Hospitality ...

As you make your summer plans, be sure to include a stay at The Historic York Inn / Smyser-Bair House Bed & Breakfast on your list.

Whether you're in the market for a long-term stay due to a relocation or temporary work assignment, you're visiting friends, family, or historical sites, or you'd just like a romantic escape from the modern world, this Victorian mansion from the 1830s is the place for you.

Relax in the formal parlor, enjoy a hearty, home-cooked breakfast in the formal dining room, or settle in to your own antique-furnished guest room. And when you're ready to head out, there are so many places to go within walking distance.

Ready to learn more or make your reservation?

Visit us online at http://www.yorkinn.info/, where you can take a virtual tour and select your room.

Or give us a call at (717) 814-9INN.

We look forward to welcoming you to The Historic York Inn for a brush with history and old-fashioned hospitality.

New Website for the Historic York Inn

We have good news for people who would like a tour of The Historic York Inn / Smyser-Bair House Bed & Breakfast before booking a room, but who live out of state and can’t make it.

The Historic York Inn has a new website!

Visit www.yorkinn.info to visit the brand new site. There, you can learn all about the inn and its history, all the way back to Dr. Henry Smyser who owned the place in the 1800s.

The website also includes a detailed “virtual tour” that allows a peek into each bedroom as well as the common rooms, such as the parlor, dining room, and balcony.

And you’ll find local points of interest, historic details about the house, and more.

Once you’ve made your decision, you can:

• give us a call (717-814-9INN);
• send an email (YorkInn@gmail.com);
• make your reservation and payment right on the website(www.yorkinn.info/reservations.html); or
• make your reservation and payment at the top of this page!

Welcome to the virtual Historic York Inn. The door is open at www.yorkinn.info.

(717) 814-9INN is the Inn’s New Number

The Historic York Inn / Smyser-Bair House Bed & Breakfast has a fitting new number: (717) 814-9INN.

(That’s (717) 814-9466 for those who don’t like dialing letters.)

Whether you’d like to book a room, an event, or simply take a tour of this historic property, feel free to give us a call at our new number. If you don’t reach us right away, please leave a message and we’ll return your call shortly. Your call is important to us and will be answered.

Of course, you’re welcome to contact us by email as well: YorkInn@gmail.com.

By phone call, text message, or email—you decide how you’d like to contact us at The Historic York Inn.